India has announced that fuel prices are going to be raised by 10 percent. The state-owned oil companies had no other option but adapt pump prices in response to the increase of crude oil prices in international markets. According to an article in Autoplus, gas stations in New Dehli were selling gasoline at 45.52 rupee and diesel at 31.76 per liter. That's about $1 and $0.75 (U.S.) per liter, respectively. Unlike Europe and the U. S., the price of fuel in India is regulated by the government, although prices differ from state to state.

[Source: Autoplus]

Photo by Jurek D. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

I doubt there are any regular readers of AutoblogGreen who need a reminder as to why greener cars are not only cool but, increasingly, vitally important for the pocketbook. The AP is reporting that a new series of small issues somewhere in the world - in this case there is unrest in Nigeria and a refinery strike in the UK, but it could really be anything and the important thing to note is just how little it takes to spook the skittish market - have driven the price of a barrel of oil to just under $120. Yes, that's a new all-time high. As for the price at the pump for American drivers, that's up, too. The latest U.S. government estimates for average gasoline retail prices, from April 21st, peg the number at $3.51. This is up 64 cents from a year ago. Ok, that's your reminder. Did you need it?

[Source: AP]

LC Biofuels is trying to explain why its biodiesel is not getting any cheaper. According to the Biodiesel Blog, the company has sent out a letter that describes how the ever-increasing price of raw materials and diesel fuel seriously impact its biodiesel prices. The weak dollar - which makes it more lucrative for soybean producers to sell their product to China - also plays a role.

Feedstock prices are set, mostly, by the Chicago Board of Trade, the letter says, and because soybean prices have tripled over the past year, the price that LC Biofuels has to sell a gallon of biodiesel for to make money has climbed to about $6.25. Other biodiesel plants have stopped production (see here), but LC Biofuels is going to keep on trying to make fuel for the time being. Prices will be higher, but when costs come down - if costs come down - the pump will reflect the drop.

[Source: Biodiesel Blog]

How are gas prices affecting you personally? If you drive an SUV every day, your fuel bill is surely putting a crimp in your pocketbook. Even if you drive a vehicle which gets high fuel mileage, we imagine that you're still quite cognizant of your driving habits. Do you carpool to work or when dropping your kids off at school? Do you walk or ride your bike to places that you used to drive to? These questions are important, both to your fellow readers and to car manufacturers. To prove that point, Jon F. Thompson from Toyota's Corporate Communications has posted a new entry on Toyota's Open Road Blog, asking readers to comment on what changes they've personally made, if any.

Perusing the comments, it's easy to see that fuel prices are causing drivers, no matter how efficient their vehicle is, to change their habits. If you've ever wanted to talk to somebody at a major car company about its fuel efficient options, here's your chance to do it.

[Source: Toyota Open Road Blog]